Weekly Newsletter

Art Student Benjamin Harff Creates Illustrated “Silmarillion”

Tolkien fans are a creative bunch, to say the least, and Benjamin Harff is a testament to that.

An art student from Germany, Benjamin was introduced to Middle-earth back in 1991 when he was but 11 years old. Out camping with friends in the woods, he recalls sharing readings from The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by the fireside, an experience that would leave a strong impression on him even into adulthood.

For his final examination in Illustration and Graphic Design in 2009, he spent a year and a half creating a handmade version of The Silmarillion. The result was an exquisite sub-creation of one of Tolkien’s greatest posthumously-published works replete with calligraphic text, illustrations, and illuminations, all meticulously hand-bound in goat leather.

On the right can be seen the illumination of the opening page of the book, a page that Benjamin says took more than 70 hours to create. The Tolkien Library, a fansite dedicated to the works of Tolkien, has an in-depth interview with Benjamin concerning his work, where more pictures of the book can be found.

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